The Formality and Informality of HRM Practices in Small Firms

The formality and informality of HRM practices in small firms Rowena Barrett and Susan Mayson Introduction The nature of human resource management in small firms is understood to be characterized by ad hoc and idiosyncratic practices. The liability of smallness (Heneman and Berkley, 1999) and resource poverty (Welsh and White, 1981) presents unique challenges to managing human resources in small firms. The inability to achieve economies of scale can mean that implementing formalized HRM practices is costly in terms of time and money for small firms (Sels et al., 2006a; 2006b). These, combined with small firm owner–managers’ lack of strategic capabilities and awareness (Hannon and Atherton, 1998) and a lack of managerial resources and expertise in HRM (Cardon and Stevens, 2004) can lead to informal and ad hoc HRM practices. For some this state of affairs is interpreted as problematic as the normative and formalized HRM practices in the areas of recruitment, selection, appraisal, training and rewards are not present (see Marlow, 2006 and Taylor, 2006 for a critique). However, a more nuanced analysis of the small firm and its practices in their context can tell a different story (Barrett and Rainnie, 2002; Harney and Dundon, 2006). In this chapter we contribute to our understanding of small firm management practices by investigating a series of questions in relation to HRM in small firms.

Assessment of the mortality displacement in temperature-related deaths in Brisbane, Australia

This thesis is a population-based ecological study designed to investigate the issue of mortality displacement (or "harvesting" effect) in the assessment of temperature-related deaths in Brisbane, Australia. It examines the temperature impacts on mortality, and assesses the harvesting effects on the temperature–related deaths. This study contributes to the knowledge base of understanding the temperature-mortality relationship and assists in formulating and evaluating public health intervention strategies within the context of climate change.

Making sense of inconsistencies in psycho-educational assessment: A case report

The case is presented of an 8-year-old young boy who was referred for psycho-educational assessment because of difficulties with writing. The paper provides an example of the way in which a case unfolds as further assessment data become available, and describes a number of challenging aspects of the assessment process. In this case, dilemmas arose when test results were inconsistent at different time points, and when the results were inconsistent with clinical observations. The case report illustrates the ways in which practitioners can collaborate to make sense of such discrepancies, with each contributing a slightly different perspective or set of skills that, in combination, assist to better understand a child’s difficulties.

Chinese EFL students' response to an assessment policy change

In light of its documented potential for enhancing learning, formative assessment has been adopted across a range of educational contexts to improve the quality of education. The assessment innovation that the Chinese Ministry of Education (CMoE) proposed to College English in 2007 via the College English Curriculum Requirements (CECR) (CMoE, 2007), is an initiative of this kind. Considering the acknowledged influence of assessment on students’ learning, it is instructive to explore the ways in which Chinese university students respond to an assessment policy change of this magnitude, particularly as it positions them as more active learners, having the potential for increased agency and engagement in their English language learning and assessment practices. In order to explore the response of students to this assessment initiative, a case study was conducted in the context of a College English classroom. Data included an interview with a College English teacher and four students from her classes, and classroom observations and a survey of her two classes of 100 students. Analysis of the data reveals that Chinese students’ responses to the assessment policy change are influenced by a variety of sociocultural factors, including their previous English language learning and assessment experience and the extent to which they are willing to play the ‘assessment game’. These findings have implications for policy and practice.

Development of an electronic role-play assessment initiative in bioscience for nursing students

Devising authentic assessments for subjects with large enrolments is a challenge. This study describes an electronic role-play assessment for approximately 600 first-year nursing students to learn and apply pathophysiology (bioscience) concepts to nursing practice. Students used Microsoft Office PowerPoint® to prepare electronic role-plays both between a nurse and patient, and between two nurses, thus simulating workplace scenarios. Student feedback demonstrated that respondents found this assessment useful for learning pathophysiology, and for applying pathophysiology to a nursing clinical setting. This electronic presentation circumvented issues associated with a traditional oral presentation such as embarrassment and logistics of scheduling groups, and rated well with students of non-English speaking background. The electronic role-play assessment initiative encouraged students to apply their bioscience knowledge to a clinical setting, and allowed students to conceptualise the importance of bioscience within both the nursing degree and the profession.

Practices and effectiveness of building information modelling in construction projects in China

Based on an investigation of 106 projects involving the use of building information modelling (BIM), this paper examines current BIM practices in China, and assesses how various practices alter their effectiveness. The results reveal that in current practice BIM is principally employed as a visualization tool, and how it is implemented is significantly associated with project characteristics. BIM use in the majority of the surveyed projects is seen to have positive outcomes, with the benefits of improved task effectiveness being more substantial than those related to efficiency improvement. The results also provide evidence that project characteristics significantly influence the success of BIM use; however, more substantial contributing factors to BIM effectiveness are the extent of integrated use and client/owner support. While indicating that current BIM practices involve both technological and organizational problems, the findings also provide insights into how the potential for BIM could be better exploited within the industry.

Transforming the core business of teaching and learning in classrooms through ICT

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an integral part of societies across the globe. This study demonstrates how successful technology integration by 10 experienced teachers in an Australian high school was dependent on teacher-driven change and innovation that influenced the core business of teaching and learning. The teachers were subject specialists across a range of disciplines, engaging their Year Eight students (aged 12–14 years) in the Technology Rich Classrooms programme. Two classrooms were renovated to accommodate the newly acquired computer hardware. The first classroom adopted a one-to-one desktop model with all the computers with Internet access arranged in a front-facing pattern. The second classroom had computers arranged in small groups. The students also used Blackboard to access learning materials after school hours. Qualitative data were gathered from teachers mainly through structured and unstructured interviews and a range of other approaches to ascertain their perceptions of the new initiative. This investigation showed that ICT was impacting positively on the core business of teaching and learning. Through the support of the school leadership team, the built environment was enabling teachers to use ICT. This influenced their pedagogical approaches and the types of learning activities they designed and implemented. As a consequence, teachers felt that students were motivated and benefited through this experience.

A multiple case study of NAPLAN numeracy testing of Year 9 students in three Queensland secondary schools

This thesis reports on a multiple case study of the actions of three Queensland secondary schools in the context of Year 9 NAPLAN numeracy testing, focusing on their administrative practices, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. It was established that schools have found it both challenging and costly to operate in an environment of educational reform generally, and NAPLAN testing in particular. The lack of a common understanding of numeracy and the substantial demands of implementing the Australian Curriculum have impacted on schools' ability to prepare students appropriately for NAPLAN numeracy tests. It was concluded that there is scope for schools to improve their approaches to NAPLAN numeracy testing in a way that maximises learning as well as test outcomes.

“Do I really need a nap?”: The role of sleep science in informing sleep practices in early childhood education and care settings

A compelling body of studies identifies the importance of sleep for children’s learning, behavioral regulation, and health. These studies have primarily focused on nighttime sleep or on total sleep duration. The independent contribution of daytime sleep, or napping, in childhood is an emerging research focus. Daytime sleep is particularly pertinent to the context of early childhood education and care (ECEC) where, internationally, allocation of time for naps is commonplace through to the time of school entry. The biological value of napping varies with neurological maturity and with individual circumstance. Beyond the age of 3 years, when monophasic sleep patterns become typical, there is an increasing disjuncture between children’s normative sleep requirements and ECEC practice. At this time, research evidence consistently identifies an association between napping and decreased quality and duration of night sleep. We assess the implications of this evidence for educational practice and health policy. We identify the need to distinguish the functions of napping from those of rest, and assert the need for evidence-based guidelines on sleep–rest practices in ECEC settings to accommodate individual variation in sleep needs. Given both the evidence on the impact of children’s nighttime sleep on long-term trajectories of health and well-being and the high rates of child attendance in ECEC programs, we conclude that policy and practice regarding naptime have significant implications for child welfare and ongoing public health.

Class participation as a learning and assessment strategy in law : facilitating students’ engagement, skills development and deep learning

Assessment has widely been described as being ‘at the centre of the student experience’. It would be difficult to conceive of the modern teaching university without it. Assessment is accepted as one of the most important tools that an educator can deploy to influence both what and how students learn. Evidence suggests that how students allocate time and effort to tasks and to developing an understanding of the syllabus is affected by the method of assessment utilised and the weighting it is given. This is particularly significant in law schools where law students may be more preoccupied with achieving high grades in all courses than their counterparts from other disciplines. However, well-designed assessment can be seen as more than this. It can be a vehicle for encouraging students to learn and engage more broadly than with the minimums required to complete the assessment activity. In that sense assessment need not merely ‘drive’ learning, but can instead act as a catalyst for further learning beyond what a student had anticipated. In this article we reconsider the potential roles and benefits in legal education of a form of interactive classroom learning we term assessable class participation (‘ACP’), both as part of a pedagogy grounded in assessment and learning theory, and as a platform for developing broader autonomous approaches to learning amongst students. We also consider some of the barriers students can face in ACP and the ways in which teacher approaches to ACP can positively affect the socio-emotional climates in classrooms and thus reduce those barriers. We argue that the way in which a teacher facilitates ACP is critical to the ability to develop positive emotional and learning outcomes for law students, and for teachers themselves.

Negotiating indeterminacy in studio teaching: Using the zones of material and immaterial play to shape pedagogies and practices in art

The processes of studio-based teaching in visual art are often still tied to traditional models of discrete disciplines and largely immersed in skill-based learning. These approaches to training artists are also tied to an individual model of art practice that is clearly defined by the boundaries of those disciplines. This paper will explain how the open studio program at QUT can be broadly understood as an action research model of learning that ‘plays’ with the post-medium, post-studio genealogies and zones of contemporary art. This emphasises developing conceptual, contextual and formal skills as essential for engaging with and practicing in the often-indeterminate spatio-temporal sites of studio teaching. It will explore how this approach looks to Sutton-Smith’s observations on the role of play and Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development in early childhood learning as a way to develop strategies for promoting creative learning environments that are collaborative and self sustainable. Social, cultural, political and philosophical dialogues are examined as they relate to art practice with the aim of forming the shared interests, aims, and ambitions of graduating students into self initiated collectives or ARIs.

Fixing the alignment: An exploration of budgeting practices in the home

Budgeting is an important means of controlling ones finances and reducing debt. This paper outlines our work towards designing more user centred technology for individual and household budgeting. Based on an ethnographically informed study with 15 participants, we highlight a misalignment between people's actual budgeting practices and those supported by off-the-shelf budgeting aids. In addressing this misalignment we outline three tenets that may be incorporated into future work in this area. These include (1) catering for the different phases of engagement with technology; (2) catering for the practices of hiding and limiting access to money, and; (3) integrating materiality into technical solutions.

Comparison of Body Composition Assessment Methods in Breast Cancer Survivors

Purpose/Objectives: To examine and compare the reliability of four body composition methods commonly used in assessing breast cancer survivors. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: A rehabilitation facility at a university-based comprehensive cancer center in the southeastern United States. Sample: 14 breast cancer survivors aged 40-71 years. Methods: Body fat (BF) percentage was estimated via bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA), air displacement plethysmography (ADP), and skinfold thickness (SKF) using both three- and seven-site algorithms, where reliability of the methods was evaluated by conducting two tests for each method (test 1 and test 2), one immediately after the other. An analysis of variance was used to compare the results of BF percentage among the four methods. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to test the reliability of each method. Main Research Variable: BF percentage. Findings: Significant differences in BF percentage were observed between BIA and all other methods (three-site SKF, p < 0.001; seven-site SKF, p < 0.001; ADP, p = 0.002). No significant differences (p > 0.05) in BF percentage between three-site SKF, seven-site SKF, and ADP were observed. ICCs between test 1 and test 2 for each method were BIA = 1, ADP = 0.98, three-site SKF = 0.99, and seven-site SKF = 0.94. Conclusions: ADP and both SKF methods produce similar estimates of BF percentage in all participants, whereas BIA overestimated BF percentage relative to the other measures. Caution is recommended when using BIA as the body composition method for breast cancer survivors who have completed treatment but are still undergoing adjuvant hormonal therapy. Implications for Nursing: Measurements of body composition can be implemented very easily as part of usual care and should serve as an objective outcome measure for interventions designed to promote healthy behaviors among breast cancer survivors. - See more at: https://onf.ons.org/onf/38/4/comparison-body-composition-assessment-methods-breast-cancer-survivors#sthash.5djfTS1Q.dpuf

Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Samoan women aged 18 to 29 and assessment of possible risk factors: a community-based study

Background Knowledge about genital Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections in the Pacific is limited. In this study we investigated CT infection in Samoan women. Methods We recruited women having unprotected sex aged 18 to 29 years from 41 Samoan villages. They completed a questionnaire and provided a urine sample for CT testing by PCR. Associations between CT infection and possible risk factors were explored using logistic regression. Results Altogether, 239 women were recruited; 86 (36.0%; weighted estimate of prevalence: 41.9%; 95% CI: 33.4–50.5%) were positive for CT infection. A higher proportion of women aged 18 to 24 were positive (54/145; 37.2%) than those aged 25 to 29 (32/94; 34.0%; p=0.20). Being single (OR 1.92; 95% CI: 1.02–3.63) and having two or more lifetime sexual partners (OR 3.02; 95% CI: 1.19–7.67) were associated with CT infection; 27.6% of those with one lifetime partner were positive. Participants who had a previous pregnancy were less likely to be positive (OR 0.49; 95% CI: 0.27–0.87). Primiparous and multiparous women were less likely to be positive than nulliparous women (OR 0.54; 95% CI: 0.30–0.99 and OR 0.46; 95% CI: 0.24–0.89, respectively). Conclusions The prevalence of CT infection in these Samoan women is very high. Further studies, including investigating the prevalence of CT infection in men, and strategies for sustainable control are needed.